This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in over-the-highway truck or trailer bodies, and more particularly to a stake design for the cargo bed of a truck or trailer. 2. Description of the Prior Art.
As set out in co-applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,702, issued Mar. 18, 1975 and incorporated by reference herein, a variety of stakes have been devised for flat bed trailer structures with a removable cargo box and having a tarpaulin roof supported above the cargo box by the stakes.
A typical stake is secured to the vehicle at its lower end and supports one end of one of the bows provided for the tarpaulin roof from its upper end. One method of supporting a bow end with a stake has been to entrain the end of the bow in a bow receiving socket provided within the upper end of the stake. However, such a design provides that the top of the stake be of an open-end construction which exposes the inside of the stake to rain and the corrosive elements characteristic of the highway environment. During cold weather, this can result in a substantial accumulation of sand, ice, and corrosive salts within the stake when the vehicle is used.
In the open-end construction of the prior art stakes where the tarpaulin stake pocket only occupies a portion of the total cross-sectional area of the top of the post, a bow end could be improperly placed between the inside wall of the stake and the bow socket instead of in the socket itself. This can result in distortion or rupture of the stake wall. Additionally, the outer edge of the exposed open top of the stake can cut or tear the tarpaulin canvas which is stretched over the stake when the tarpaulin roof is assembled and the vehicle put into service.
The present invention solves these problems by providing a unique cap for the stake structure which overcomes these difficulties.